BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) -- Israeli soldiers on Wednesday critically injured a 16-year-old Palestinian in the town of Kafr Aqab, north of Jerusalem, in the central occupied West Bank, according to official Palestinian Authority (PA)-owned Wafa news agency.

Wafa reported that the teen, whose identity remained unknown, was shot in the face, chest, and thigh during clashes that erupted with Israeli soldiers in the town.

The teen was reported to be in critical condition and was transferred to the Ramallah Medical Complex for treatment.

Between Tuesday and Wednesday, Israeli forces killed three Palestinians in three separate incidents, and injured dozens others with live ammunition in clashes in the West Bank.

Israeli forces have long been criticized for their use of excessive force against Palestinians, and what rights groups have termed their policy of “extrajudicial execution” in instances where Palestinians who did not pose a direct threat to the lives of soldiers could have been detained in a non-lethal manner.